David-Matthew Barnes - Better Places to Go

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David-Matthew Barnes is the bestselling author of ten novels, including the young adult novels Fifty Yards and Holding , The Marijuana Mermaids , Mesmerized , Swimming to Chicago , and Wonderland . He is also the author of Boys Like Me , a collection of short stories, and Roadside Attractions and Souvenir Boys , two collections of poetry. He has written over forty stage plays that have been performed in three languages in eight countries. He is the writer and director of the feature film Frozen Stars and the dramatic short film Threnody . His literary work has been featured in over one hundred publications including The Best Stage Scenes , The Best Men’s Stage Monologues , The Best Women’s Stage Monologues , The Comstock Review , and The Southeast Review . He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing at Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina. For more information, please visit www.davidmatthewbarnes.com.

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Cast: 6 women, 2 men

In this delightful stage play for teens, four young women come-of-age at an all-girl Catholic boarding school. Rachel wants to become a nun and devote her life to God. Naomi has been expelled from numerous schools and Our Lady of Grace is her last chance. Mara is obsessed with two things: old movie stars and herself. Alisha struggles to escape the shadow of the lives of her parents. Having known her fair share of heartache, Sister Josephine is an unconventional nun who becomes a mentor to her students.

Cast: 8 women, 8 men

This Latino-flavored coming-of-age stage drama explores the lives of three young people as they struggle with personal and religious beliefs, peer pressure, family relationships, and the overwhelming power of love and friendship.

Cast: 3 women

Artistically inspired by the song Jackie's Strength as recorded by Tori Amos, this heartfelt play explores the lives of Venita, Maggie, and Sarah who live in a rundown apartment building in an unnamed American city. Venita is a black woman who has been ostracized from her family for marrying a white man named George. Maggie endures a loveless marriage and within ten years gives birth to five children. Sarah desires a life of picture-perfect glamour and excitement and has married her high school sweetheart Jimmy. After a few brushes with reality, Sarah becomes dismayed with her predictable life and slips into a crippling depression. Over the course of 34 years, Venita, Maggie, and Sarah confront social and political issues as they fight to assert their identity and protect their friendship.

Cast: 2 men

We Never Made it to Paris is a creative fusion of language, music, movement, dance, photography, and light. The story spans over the course of eighteen years in the lives of two men: Eros, a former model, and Bird, a former actor. Fearing real love doesn’t exist, Bird sabotages their young affair, only to realize years later they are soul mates.

A collection of over one hundred ass-kicking monologues for women and men.

A collection of sixteen one-act and ten-minute plays featuring roles for two actors.

A collection of ten one-act and ten-minute plays featuring roles for teen actors.

Better Places to Go (1st ed. — 11.18.13)

Copyright © 2013 by David-Matthew Barnes

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

All rights reserved. This stage play is fully protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. No part of this script may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This stage play may include references to brand names and trademarks owned by third parties, and may include references to public figures. The author is not necessarily affiliated with these public figures, or with the owners of such trademarks and brand names. Such references are included solely for parody, political comment, or other permitted purposes.

Editor: Monica Augustine

Cover Design by James, GoOnWrite.com

Publisher: Pinwheel Plays